1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an interactive video and exercise apparatus which enables a user to perform physical conditioning exercises in accordance with an enjoyable interactive action scenario, the action scenario's progression directly varying with relation to a user's actions, thereby providing a comprehensive, enjoyable, and completely interactive means of entertainment, physical conditioning, and competition with other users.
2. Description of the Related Art
Physical fitness is an important priority for many individuals. Unfortunately, individuals often become bored when performing strenuous exercise routines, thus decreasing their desire to work out. For this reason, individuals are often searching for ways to make their exercising more enjoyable, thereby helping to make the exercise period go by quickly. This is evidenced by the invention of exercise devices such as those disclosed in Yang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,917, Bicocchi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,566, and Nobutal U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,410 which include the use of exercise devices such as rowing machines or stationary bikes, in combination with a CRT display. Devices such as these, however, are limited to enabling the user to change direction around an obstacle, increase the rate of passage of the scenery in accordance with the velocity of exercising, or vary resistance in accordance with the strength of the user. Such devices, while simulating passing scenery, are not structured to be completely interactive so as to follow a selected action scenario in which a user must overcome obstacles and make decisions which will directly effect the remainder of the scenario and obstacles to be overcome, and which enable the performance of a variety of different exercises which simulate actions to be performed throughout the scenario. Further, the devices in the related art are not structured to produce a wide variety of scenario outcomes based on various scenario story lines and skill levels such that a user does not become bored after repeating the same exercises over and over again.
The present invention is structured precisely to act in this manner and incorporates modern CD-I player technology to enable real time interaction, easy input of new scenarios, and a variety of scenario outcomes directly related to choices and physical reactions made by a user.
Additionally, the present invention may be specifically adapted to an individual user such that users of different physical characteristics can participate in the same scenario on an equal advantage level. This feature, along with the CD-I's ability to maintain score depending upon an individual's successful progression through a particular scenario, also makes the invention usable for entertainment, action, and sport-type scenarios. In fact, the invention, as a result of its ability to adjust to an individual's physical attributes, is one of the few physical exercise devices wherein individuals of different sexes and physical characteristics may compete directly with one another and have fair results. The present invention uniquely combines a number of variable resistance exercise devices to enable a real life action situation to be simulated, thereby enabling an individual utilizing the apparatus to combine physical and mental activity in a manner which makes demanding physical exercise mentally stimulating and not boring.